Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino Federation of America

Paso Finos

History of the Puerto Rican Paso Fino

On November 27,1493, Christopher Columbus (on his second voyage to the New World) introduced the ancestors of the Puerto Rican Paso Fino horses to La Espanola (the Dominican Republic). These horses were descendants from the Spanish Jennet saddle horse, the Cartujano horses bred by Spanish monks, the Guzman strain descended from the Barb horses, the Zapateros, the Valenzuelas and the glamorous Andalusian horses. These horses were bred for saddle riding purposes, and some were blessed with a smooth lateral gait, beauty and an excellent disposition. In 1509 Juan Ponce de Leon, then governor of Puerto Rico, brought the first horses from La Espanola to Puerto Rico. This act marked the beginning of the Puerto Rican's love affair with these horses that persists today.

Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino Horses - Born to Gait

All Paso Fino horses are the same. A Paso Fino is a Paso Fino. Right? Not true, say fans of Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino horses. They believe that Pure Puerto Rican Paso Finos are a separate, unique breed and the smoothest naturally gated riding horses in the world.
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A Brief History of the Aristocrat of the Paso Fino Horse

In 1493, Columbus, on his second voyage, introduced the ancestors of the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Finos to the New World. During this and subsequent trips by Columbus and other conquistadors, Andalusians, Barbs and Spanish Jennets were brought into what is now Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and other areas of the Caribbean. The Spanish Jennet - now extinct - was the primary contributor to the uniquely smooth gait.